…Get Reel

Welcome to weekend one of four (and a half) leading up to this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture. With the nominees announced this past Tuesday, that makes this your first weekend where you’re not just guessing who the nominees will be.

With nine nominated films, that means you have to knock out at least two per weekend to see them all by Oscar Sunday. Sounds a bit daunting, especially if you haven’t seen any of the films yet, but the good news is 2WC is here to help.

You can check out what we think here: 2017’s Oscar Nominees. Plus we’ll be reviewing (and re-reviewing) all of the Best Picture nominees as the big day approaches, so you can determine which films are worth your time.

If you’re wondering how that helps you now, well here are my recommendations for this weekend.

Assuming you’re just getting started on this year’s nominees, it’s best to ease in. There’s no need to start with the less than uplifting, but still valuable films. You can take care of those next weekend. So with that in mind I recommend starting with “Arrival” and “La La Land.”

“Arrival” is definitely the heavier and darker of the two films, but in the end it’s uplifting, if a little bittersweet. Its focus on communication is something we all could benefit from. A well told tale with a twist and a side of sci-fi, it makes for a less emotionally taxing experience than some of this year’s other nominees…but you still might want to bring the tissues.

“La La Land” is just pure fun, with a side of reality, but overall just a joy to watch. If you need a little bit of levity in your weekend, definitely see this classic movie musical with a modern edge…but maybe also bring the tissues…there’s really no escaping the occasional tear when it comes to Oscar nominees.

On that note you should probably get going. These Oscar nominees aren’t going to watch themselves.